Radbroke Hall

Radbroke Hall

A house built between 1907 and 1919 by Sir Percy Worthington for Claude Hardy, now used as offices. The building is constructed in ashlar with plain tile hipped roofs.

The house is arranged on a three-sided courtyard plan. The central block rises to two storeys with an attic, flanked by single-storey pavilions connected to the main structure by single-storey quadrant wings. All exterior elements are consistently applied across all four facades of the central three-storey block.

The entrance front comprises seven bays arranged symmetrically. An unfluted tetrastyle Roman Ionic portico stands on a stylobate, with projecting roundels to the responds and egg-and-dart decoration to the capitals. A coat of arms appears in the pediment. The portico ceiling contains three sunken panels. The plinth is slightly projecting, as are the quoins at the corners of the block and the band between floors. A modillion cornice runs below the eaves. The central double doors have four panels each with a sunken panel above and an ovolo surround. Single-light windows flank the doors on either side. At first-floor centre is a window in a lugged architrave with a projecting keystone, flanked by two single-light windows on either side. Either side of this central feature are two bays of unhorned sash windows with concealed boxes. Small stone grilles sit below the ground-floor windows.

The quadrant wings on either side are blind. The pavilion wings are rectangular in plan with their longer sides facing the courtyard. The right-hand wing has two blank reveals to the courtyard side and one sash window to the end. The left-hand pavilion has three windows facing the courtyard and one similar to the end.

On the right-hand facade, the single-storey pavilion wing has four windows. Two Ionic columns appear on the quadrant wing. The side of the main block shows five bays, with that at the left of ground floor obscured by the quadrant; the remaining four bays have sash windows. Five windows appear at first-floor level. Three hipped attic dormer windows are present, with one chimney stack to the left comprising three flues.

The rear elevation has five bays. The three central bays are slightly recessed and have sash windows at ground floor with 4 by 6 panes, that to the right being a doorway with wooden panel to the lower section. A parapet above is decorated with moulded circular balusters. Either side are slightly curved bows with slightly projecting quoins at their corners. The roof above features slightly curved, hipped projections above the bows.

Interior

The Hall features bolection-moulded panelling in two tiers divided by a chair rail. A 19th-century fireplace simulating 18th-century Neo-Classical design, brought from elsewhere, is present.

The Music Room in the right-hand pavilion has bolection-moulded panelling in two tiers divided by a chair rail and a cornice with consoles. Over the fireplace is a piece of 17th- or 18th-century panelling in the manner of Grinling Gibbons. Screens at either end: the west screen has two Ionic pillars with pilaster responds to the sides and rear and quarter responds to the angles, with a niche at centre flanked by doors with pedimented heads. The east screen is similar, with a window at centre and panels either side.

The quadrant corridors and entrance hall all feature moulded barrel vaults. The entrance corridor has three arched niches opposite the front door. The cross corridor has an inlaid marble floor with a circular space at its centre containing an oculus to the first-floor landing with a wrought iron rail. From this hall the staircase leads off, with the four lowest steps bowed.

The Drawing Room, now divided, has bolection-moulded panelling (now overpainted) and an 18th-century fireplace brought from elsewhere. Its plaster ceiling is divided into panels with a central oval.

The Library has bolection-moulded panelling with deeply-carved shell-head niches at the south end, flanking the fireplace.

The Oval Room (dining room) has plaster panelling with richly moulded beading, a decorated frieze, and a circular central cartouche with richly modelled cavetto moulding above the bowed six-panel door.

The upper staircase hall has wooden bolection moulding below the dado line and a richly moulded panelled ceiling with guilloche moulding to the ribs. A wrought iron balustrade and handrail are present.